Gun Control

With Dick Cheney's recent hunting accident (after all, Shakespeare did say we should shoot all the lawyers), he's been the butt of a rifle joke for weeks. Let's face it, this incident pulled an emotional trigger for many people. According to the U.S. Newswire, James and Sarah Brady, of The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, were quoted as follows:

"Now I understand why Dick Cheney keeps asking me to go hunting with him," said Jim Brady. "I had a friend once who accidentally shot pellets into his dog - and I thought he was an idiot."

"I've thought Cheney was scary for a long time," Sarah Brady said. "Now I know I was right to be nervous."

For the uninitiated, James Brady was Press Secretary for Ronald Reagan, and took a bullet for the President. But really, this post isn't so much about Gun Control, as it is about Dick Cheney... which brings us to the link of the day.

Actor Alec Baldwin has been taking flak for his outspoken and controversial comments on The Huffington Post, in which he accused Cheney of being a terrorist. This label seems to have many people up in arms and has branded Baldwin as somehow un-American. He is, if anything, more supportive of our country than a Vice President whose corporate interests end up screwing the little guy. CLICK HERE to read Baldwin's brilliant "apology."

AntiTrust Laws

Why isn't anyone enforcing antitrust? Please explain to us how this is allowed to happen:

1. Phony Monopoly. SBC bought AT&T, along with Yahoo! and Cingular, making it an enormous phone company. Sprint bought Nextel. CLICK HERE to see what rings true... and what doesn't.
2. Bank on this. Coast Federal Bank was absorbed by Home Savings of America, which was bought by Washington Mutual, which also recently bought Providian.
3. Free press? Not anymore. Not when studios own TV networks. CLICK HERE to see why information truly is power now.

Soon we'll have just one phone company, one bank, one network. The minute we lose freedom of choice, is when we are done as a "free world."

Abortion Rights

What a surprise. As soon as Alito is appointed to the Supreme Court, this right-leaning group of nine decides to revisit abortion rights. Yet another one of Bush's agendas, the erosion of Roe v. Wade continues. CLICK HERE and decide for yourself.

On a similar note, almost under the radar, South Dakota quietly passed a definitive abortion ban within its borders. CLICK HERE to prepare for battle.

Gay Marriage

New Jersey may become the second state to legalize same-sex marriages, and the first to allow couples who are not state residents to enjoy the benefits of a legalized union. Currently, Massachusetts is the only state with a pro-gay marriage law on its books, but it limits such marriages to residents only. CLICK HERE to read more about this garden state of affairs.

On a sour note, Hillary Rodham Clinton, has made it clear that she is not in support of gay marriage. This position is alienating several supporting gay rights organizations, but clearly she is more concerned with pleasing the middle and the conservatives, than standing up in favor of equal rights. CLICK HERE to read about this Clinton's compromise of principles when it comes to sex. It seems to run in the family.

Immigration

With unemployment numbers on the rise, Bush is now pushing for an overhaul of immigration law that would give "guest workers" (i.e. illegal immigrants) the ability to stay here and allegedly take jobs that Americans aren't willing to take. We're not sure where Bush got the idea that unemployed Americans are happy to be out of work, but then we're not sure where Bush gets most of his ideas. CLICK HERE to read about this borderline bill.

Stem Cell Research

Missouri has a ballot initiative that could set the stage for how other states and
Congress legislate stem cell research. CLICK HERE to learn about it.

In New Jersey, efforts for a stem call research facility have been resuscitated. CLICK HERE to read about what's at stake.

Meanwhile, in Maryland, lawmakers are going public with their private health battles to reveal how this research affects them personally. CLICK HERE to be moved by their touching stories.

Finally, two Senate committees are trying to move along an amended bill that would provide state money for research. CLICK HERE to stay on top of this issue.

Medical Marijuana

Similar to assisted suicide, the use of medical marijuana to ease suffering for
terminal AIDS and cancer patients, as well as glaucoma sufferers, seems to be under the thumb of the religious right. To smoke out state autonomy, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2005 that Congress can still legislate away the rights of the individual. CLICK HERE to read about how this blows.

Assisted Suicide

If you have a terminal illness, buy a second home in Oregon. Currently it’s the only state where you can truly die in peace. On January 17, 2006, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Oregon’s physician-assisted suicide law, much to the chagrin of the Bush administration. CLICK HERE to read about the miraculous ruling.

Freedom of Speech

Is it time to stop supporting China’s economy? Corporations such as Microsoft, Yahoo! and Google have cut censorship deals with the Chinese government in order to do business there. Yahoo! has already revealed the identity of anti-government dissidents to Chinese officials, based on their search engine usage. As a result, those people are now in jail in China. Perhaps a boycott of any company taking its business to China is in order, until individual rights -- the basic human right of free speech -- is given to the Chinese people. CLICK HERE to get informed.

Capital Punishment

Michael Morales got a stay of execution. How could this happen? After beating 17-year-old Terri Winchell unconscious, he then raped her, and finished it off by stabbing her to death. Attorneys for this convicted murderer and Death Row inmate, questioned whether death by lethal injection is inhumane, possibly painful, and violates his rights. Since when do murderers have the right to die peacefully? And if we give them the right to a painless death, then why isn’t assisted suicide legal? After all, shouldn’t cancer victims be entitled to at least the same rights as criminals? CLICK HERE to read about this latest travesty of justice.